Law Enforcement Practice of Zemstvo Self-Government in Russia after the Anti-Bolshevik Uprisings in Western Siberia

The paper is dedicated to the study of law enforcement practices in the sphere of zemstvo self-government in Siberia after the overthrow of the Soviet government in the spring of 1918. In the context of political instability and civil war, the new government took measures to restore local self-government bodies based on effective legislation. The paper analyzes the efforts to restore provincial, district, and city commissariats and changes in the composition and functioning of zemstvo administrations and city dumas that were affected by the regulatory legal acts of that period. Particular attention is paid to the problems of financial support for zemstvo self-government, including the provision of short-term loans and the introduction of additional tax charges, which led to legal disputes and negative reactions in the regions. The author also examines the redistribution of powers between central and local authorities. Special attention is paid specifically to the transfer of the activities of city self-government bodies to the jurisdiction of provincial commissariats and the introduction of new norms in electoral legislation. The paper elucidates the public’s reaction and the legal mechanisms used by local authorities to appeal to the decisions of central authorities. The role of zemstvo and city dumas in the implementation of state programs and their oversight by central bodies to prevent bureaucratization and authoritarian tendencies is discussed. In conclusion, it is noted that the law enforcement practice in the sphere of zemstvo self-government during this period was characterized by strict control from central authorities and limitations on the autonomy of local authorities. These measures, undertaken within the framework of public law regulation, were aimed at maintaining law and order and effective state governance amid political instability and financial crisis.

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